This Year's Girl
by Story Oracle
Summary: What if Buffy had gone to see Faith when she was in a coma? And when Faith woke up, what if she wasn't evil anymore?" BA


This Year's Girl  
  
By Story Oracle  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from BTVS or Angel. They unfortunately belong to the Evil Joss.  
  
Summary: What if Buffy had gone to see Faith when she was in a coma? And when Faith woke up, what if she wasn't evil anymore?"  
  
Spoilers: Graduation parts 1&2, BTVS season4 up to Hush.  
  
Please PLEASE Review!  
  
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Buffy sat at Faith's bedside. She had gone straight there after Graduation. The blonde slayer didn't know exactly why she was sitting at her sister slayer's side but as she was walking home after Graduation, something had told her to come. Buffy looked down at Faith's bruised face. She stroked the brunette's cheek, then picked up her hand.  
  
"I don't really know why I'm here, Faith." Buffy confessed. "And I know it doesn't really help, but I'm sorry. So sorry it turned out this way. I...when...I made him drink from me, Faith. He didn't want too, but I made him. He nearly drained me-and I wanted him too." She sighed, "You probably want to know how Graduation went. We got the whole class to help fight. We did pretty well. I led the Mayor on a chase through the school and Giles blew it up-with the Mayor inside. And then-" Buffy choked on the words. "Angel...he left Faith. He just left-without even saying goodbye. I gave my life so he would live, I even begged him to stay...and he still left!" The blonde started sobbing. "I loved him, and he said he didn't want his life to be with me-and he left!"  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Buffy stood in the doorway of Faith's hospital room. It had been weeks since Graduation, and Faith was still in a coma. Buffy came religiously every week to spend an hour or longer with her sister slayer. She hadn't missed a week yet. The blonde knew all the nurses by name, and they knew her. Buffy sat in the chair next to Faith's bed and picked up her hand.  
  
"Hey sis!" she smiled. Buffy had started calling Faith sis the third week she came. She thought it was fitting since hey were both slayers so they shared blood. Not to mention, Faith knew her better then anyone else.  
  
"Remember last week when I told you my roommate Kathy was evil? Well, I was right. No one believed me, even after I found out that her toenails kept growing after she cut them-which I might add is just gross-they didn't believe me. Oz and Xander went as far as to tie me up so I wouldn't hurt her. Kathy is an interdimensional demon-a Mok'tager who escaped from her own dimension so she could go to college. She was stealing my soul so her father's bounty hunters couldn't find her. Her species has no soul so when they came looking for her they would take me instead because she would have my soul! Her father took her home, so Willow is my roomie now."  
  
From her dreamland in which she was stuck, Faith listened and laughed as her sister slayer told her about her week. She loved hearing about Buffy's life. At first, she didn't like Buffy coming because all she could think about was Buffy trying to kill her for a vampire. But after a while, she realized the blonde had been scared and hurting. She began to really like her sister in arms, and look forward to her visits. What Faith wanted more then anything though, was to wake up, especially when Buffy was sad which was often. But something was holding her back. The brunette really wanted to know why her best friend was so sad. She used to be bright and sassy, and always happy, whereas now she just looked tired, and worn out.  
  
"I miss you, Faith." Buffy confessed out of the blue, pulling Faith out of her thoughts. "The gang thinks I'm crazy to keep coming here so often, but I know you can hear me. I can be myself when I'm here-I don't have to pretend I'm happy like I do with everyone else. You really understand me. I'm so tired, sis, tired of being the perfect slayer Giles wants me to be. Tired of being the perfect daughter for my mom. The perfect friend for Willow and Xander. Tired of always being happy like they think I should be. Tired of having Willow throw every available guy into my face. Tired of keeping my emotions and true feelings hidden so I can be the 'perfect' Buffy. You understand-you know what its like to be the slayer. They all claim to be my best friends, the ones who know be better then anyone. But they don't know me at all."  
  
~~~~~  
  
In her dreamland, Faith had no clue how much time was passing. All she knew was that when Buffy wasn't there it was like she was deaf and blind. She couldn't hear or see anything. One minute it was all dark, then it grew light and she could hear Buffy's voice.  
  
"Well sis, it's been an interesting week. As you know, Oz left. Willow's been really broken up about it, which is understandable, and Spike has been living at Giles' house. Well Willow cast a My Will Be Done spell, and things went wild. Giles went blind, Xander became a demon magnet, and Spike and I were engaged to be married! Thank god Willow reversed the spell." Buffy laughed a little. "Then came the Gentlemen. They are evil villains from a fairy tale. They stole our voices and started killing people. I managed to kill them by screaming. But that's not the worst of it. Riley, the guy Willow has been pushing me towards, is part of the Initiative! She says it's better because now he can protect himself! I mean he's cute and all but, I don't like him that way. He's not...Angel." She broke down in sobs. "I can't help it, Faith. I still love Angel. I've tried so hard to stop, but my heart just won't listen. I still love him with all my heart, and I don't even know where in LA he lives. I can't take it anymore. I love him so much. Willow keeps telling me I have to move on, but I can't. I won't ever stop loving Angel." Buffy sobbed brokenly, her sobs getting worse.  
  
Faith heard her and her heart broke for her sister. She wanted nothing more then to be able to comfort her. Suddenly she felt a pull, then she opened her eyes. She was back in her body! She looked down at the hysterical blonde and carefully tried to move her arm. When she found she could move it, she began to stroke Buffy's back soothingly.  
  
Buffy's head shot up. "Faith!" she gave the brunette a hug, and tried to stop crying.  
  
"Shhh." Faith soothed. "Let it out. You don't have to put on an act for me. Let it all out."  
  
Buffy sobbed out all her frustration and pain and hurt that had been building up since Graduation. Soon her sobs started to slow, then stop altogether. She stayed in Faith's arms a while longer, enjoying the feeling of comfort that she hadn't felt in so long. Finally, she sat back, looking sheepish. "Sorry. I didn't mean to fall apart." She looked at her sister slayer, and grinned ruefully. "I thought and thought about what I wanted to say when you woke up, and when you do instead I cry my heart out over my life. Some friend I am, huh?"  
  
Faith smiled. "More like a sister."  
  
"I've missed you so much. I'm soo s-"  
  
"Don't say it, B. You've already apologized. And been forgiven. I made my share of mistakes too. We're past that, sis."  
  
Buffy smiled happily. "I guess we are. Sis."   
  
Faith pulled out the wires connecting her to the machines. She jumped out of bed and gave Buffy a quick hug. "Let's blow this joint!"  
  
They managed to leave the hospital without anyone seeing them. Faith thought she would still have her apartment, so the girls went there first. Sure enough, her things were still in the apartment. Faith changed into normal clothes, and threw the hospital clothes out. She sat down on the bed and gestured for the blonde to do the same. "So tell me B," she started, hoping she didn't make the blonde sad again. "What happened between you and Angel. You said he left? Why?"  
  
Buffy picked at the bedspread. "He...he broke up with me, in the sewers while we were patrolling. H-he said that I didn't deserve him, that our relationship was a freak show. He said I deserved someone who could take me out into the sun, and make love to me...who could give me children." She started to cry. "I said that I wanted my life to be with him and he said..." she broke off, sobbing into her hands.  
  
"What did he say, B?" Faith asked, afraid to know the answer.  
  
"He said 'I don't.'" Faith gathered her sister into her arms and stroked her hair, letting her cry as no one else had since Angel had left. The brunette hated to see Buffy like that. Ever since she had come to Sunnydale Buffy had been the strong one, the one Faith had looked up to. It broke the younger slayer's heart to see her so sad now. She silently vowed that she would make it better, even if it killed her.   
  
After a while, the blonde cried herself to sleep. Faith laid her down on the bed and went to sleep herself. 'In the morning I'll take B back to her dorm and go to LA to find Angel.'  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
The next day Faith took Buffy back to her dorm. The blonde was still majorly depressed, but was able to tell where her dorm was. Willow was on her way out the door when Faith brought Buffy up to her room, but stopped when she saw them.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?" The redhead asked hatefully.  
  
Faith sighed. She had known the Scooby gang wouldn't accept her back with open arms, but it still hurt. She also knew that they wouldn't believe that she had changed her ways. "I'm just bringing Buffy home. I didn't think she would make it home on her own and I was right."  
  
"What the hell did you do to her?"  
  
"I didn't do anything to her. She's depressed over Angel. I just listened-which is more then I can say you did- and gave her a shoulder to cry on."  
  
"Like hell you did! She-"  
  
"Will," Buffy groaned. "Leave her alone. She didn't do anything except be there when I needed her."  
  
The redhead shook her head, scowling. She turned on her heel and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Faith sighed and helped Buffy change her clothes and get into bed. "I'm leaving for a while, B. Got some things to take care of."  
  
The blonde nodded. "When you come back...I can't say the gang will accept you again, but I'll always be here if you need me, Sis."  
  
The brunette smiled. "I know. Now sleep."  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Faith walked into a bar, and looked around. She had been in LA for a day, talking to demons, and listening to gossip. She found out that Angel worked with a half-demon named Doyle. Doyle was known for his taste for alcohol. Faith had been told that she could find him at a demon karaoke bar run by a demon named Lorne. She stood in the doorway now, looking for a man who fit the description of Doyle.  
  
Faith found him at a table in the back of the room, and walked over to him. "Word on the streets is that you help people."  
  
Doyle looked up at her, semi-drunk. "So what if I do, lass?"  
  
She pulled him out of his seat and steered him towards the door. "You get to come with me."  
  
"I wouldn't do this if I were you lass." he warned, as she pushed him into an abandoned building nearby.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. A big bad vampire will come after me right? That's the point, friend. I don't want you, I want your pal Angel. And you're gonna get him for me." She handed him a cell phone she had stolen out of some lady's purse. "Call him and tell him where you are. I won't harm you if he comes."  
  
"What'd he do to you? Why do you want him so bad?" Doyle asked as Faith went around nailing crosses to the door jams of every door except one.  
  
In front of the last door, she placed a net, and set it up so if something came through the door it would be caught in the net.  
  
"He's a present so to speak. For my sister. B's been miserable since the beginning of summer, when he left her. She needs him, so I'm bringing him back to her."  
  
"Oh, the blonde lass whose picture Angel's always brooding over. B..Buffy?"  
  
"Yup. Speaking of the devil, we have a visitor."  
  
Angel came up to the building and looked around it. All Doyle had said was that he was upstairs, so that's where Angel went. He hadn't said why he wanted Angel to come. As he went up the stairs, he could smell Doyle's scent mingled with another. One that was very familiar, but he couldn't remember whose. He kept looking around for traps, but failed to see the net Faith had set up for him. Angel stepped into the room, and got tangled in the net. The more he struggled the tighter the net got.  
  
"Don't bother fighting, it's meant to hold a vampire. You'll never get out of it," a female voice mocked him. The vampire groaned as he realized who his captor was: Faith. He looked up and saw Doyle handcuffed to a chair and Faith standing next to him.  
  
The brunette slayer laughed and walked over to him. She pulled him into a sitting position and bound his hands, then took the net away. "That was easier then I thought it would be." Faith walked over to Doyle and released him. "See ya around, Doyle." She forced Angel to stand up then led him over to the car she had 'borrowed' from Spike.   
  
"Where are we going?"   
  
"Where do you think, asshole? Sunnydale. 


End file.
